This invention relates generally to electric wheelchairs. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an improved apparatus for interconnecting wheelchair batteries with a wheelchair electric motor.
The present invention is specifically directed to a flanged box and a frame assembly for housing and supporting a battery or a plurality of batteries in an electrically powered vehicle such that they may be easily placed into the flanged boxes, and the boxes may be easily placed into and pushed along the frame assembly to facilitate precise, electrical interconnective placement of the batteries.
Electric wheelchairs are typically powered by heavy batteries. Typically, these batteries are placed in a tray positioned underneath the seat of the wheelchair and are electrically interconnected to the wheelchair motor using a series of cables. Wheelchairs are designed to be compact and lightweight. Such compact design, however, provides only a restricted space in which wheelchair batteries are housed. Battery installation and electrical interconnection requires placement of the batteries within the restricted housing area followed by connecting the battery terminals to the electric motor terminals of the electric motor via the electric cables. To this end, tools are required to secure the respective ends of the electric cables to the terminals of the batteries and to the electric motor. However, due to the restricted battery housing space, the tools necessary for connecting the electrical cable ends to the battery terminals and the electric motor terminals cannot be properly manipulated.
It is known to expand the space into which the batteries are housed to facilitate easier connection of the batteries to the electric motor. However, adding extra space to the battery housing area is contrary to electric wheelchair design goals of creating a compact unit.
It is also known to use removable trays for installing and supporting wheelchair batteries within a wheelchair frame. However, removable battery trays are expensive to manufacture and must be formed of sturdy material to support the batteries which can weigh over fifty pounds each. Moreover, the support trays increase the overall weight of the wheelchair. In addition to these problems, the great weight of the wheelchair batteries creates a further disadvantage. Prior to installation, a plurality of batteries, is placed upon the removable battery tray, the aggregate wight of which can be over one hundred pounds. Thereafter, the tray and batteries must be lifted and manufactured into proper orientation within the wheelchair assembly. The prohibitive weight of the tray and battery combination makes installation thereof into a restricted space a laborious task requiring great strength.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved apparatus for supporting and interconnecting wheelchair batteries which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.